Forest Service worker gets prison for ID theft

A former U.S. Forest Service worker who went AWOL from the Milwaukee office early this year has been sentenced to four years in prison for stealing co-workers' identities and running up nearly $100,000 in credit card debt. In a letter to the judge, Michael K. Hanan said the money all went to slot machines at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. He said what started as an escape from stress "very quickly grew into a severe gambling addiction." After that led to financial ruin, he said, he turned to ID theft and fraud. Hanan, a 15-year veteran of the Forest Service, worked in the human resources office where he had access to past and current employees personal information, which he used to obtain cards from Meijer, Sears, Kmart and other retailers. He used those to buy prepaid gift cards, then used those to reload debit cards, which he used to get cash...more